CSBG Archive

A Year of Cool Comic Book Moments – Day 60

Here is the latest cool comic book moment in our year-long look at one cool comic book moment a day (in no particular order whatsoever)! Here‘s the archive of the moments posted so far!

In honor of the opening of Watchmen at the end of the week, here’s a special “Watchmen moments” week!

Today we look at a visit The Comedian made before his death…

Enjoy!

By the way, it’s not a spoiler to say the Comedian dies, right? That seems like saying it is a spoiler if you mention that the Swiss Family Robinson involves a shipwreck.

In any event, in Watchmen #2, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons show us glimpses from Comedian’s life as his former friends and colleagues attend his funeral.

Rorschach sees a former super-villain, and after an assault, we see that the Comedian, shortly before his murder, visited the former villain, Moloch, and chose a rather odd place for a confession.

It’s an extremely powerful scene, especially as the rest of the issue has established Comedian’s personality so strongly that to then see him act like this is quite effective. For a man like this to act this way, whatever he uncovered must have been astonishing.

If I had to choose one specific scene from this as the “moment,” it would definitely be the “joke” line.

Again, if you could, please keep the discussion either specific to this moment or general to Watchmen as a whole, as there’s a whole week to discuss other moments from the series! Thanks!

Tuomas

I always thought the Comedian found out about Veidt’s plans a bit too easily. Okay, he saw the island with the monster, but it’s not like the purpose of the monster was that easy to deduct just from seeing it. And where did he find the list of people Veidt was gonna get rid of? Was it on the island? If it was, why would Veidt keep it there? Or did he get the list from somewhere else? You’d think Veidt the supergenius would’ve been smart enough not to write any of his plans on a piece of paper, where someone else might find out about them.

The Mutt

The use of the lighting in that sequence is just stunning. The harsh white refrigerator light, the blinking neon sign, and the darkness. I absolutely love the way they keep The Comedian in shadow or with his back turned while he is crying and confessing, then hit us with the close-up of his ravaged face when he begs.

It’s only when Rorschach tells Molloch that he is “off the hook” that the lighting and color returns to normal.

Words, layouts, pencils, inks and colors all working together to create a devastating scene. Watchmen is one of the few things in life that is every bit as good as everybody says it is. Masterful.

chad

that is one of the moments when i first read watchman that gave me chills not to mention i felt sympathy for molock and also though the comedian figured out the plan and that is why he was seeking out an old enemy a cool moment

Da Fug

John

I love how both guys make a mess in both scenes, with the Comedian he spills the alcohol all of his sheets while Rorshach waits till Moloch is in the fridge and all the food is dumped on the floor…. love that.

Randy

Julian

For me the moment hast to be that transition between “Somebody explain it to me!” (a brilliant moment in itself) and Rorscach’s surprised and confused face and hands in the next panel with Moloch saying “I don’t know what the hell it was about”. It’s just such a great motif.

Doug Atkinson

Tuomas: (POSSIBLE SPOILERS) The Comedian knew more about the island than just getting a quick glimpse from a plane; if he knew that there were writers, artists and scientists there, he must have spent some time on the ground. He may not have known the full details of the plan (the people working on it didn’t), but he’d have been able to figure out enough to see past the cover story.

The list he refers to is the list of people who were given cancer, and that wasn’t meant to be a secret; the whole point of the plan was to reveal the list at some point, as Doug Roth does in issue #3. (Although it’s not directly stated, it’s quite likely that Veidt leaked the list to Roth, through intermediaries of course.)

mike

it kinda sucked for me…the part were he tells him he has cancer…at the same time i was reading the book i was getting over cancer…i spent alot of time reading comic books when i was in the hospital…when i got to that part in the book i just had to putt it down…..